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Welcome to Close Call Sports. CCS objectively tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls in sport, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game. Developed from The Left Field Corner: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), whose purpose is to objectively track and analyze umpire ejections, video instant replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Base-brawl: Sac State & UC Riverside kicked off the NCAA baseball season with a bang—make that a fight.

NCAA D1 baseball season began on Feb. 15, but this weekend marked Sacramento State's home opener.

With one out and one on during the third inning of Friday's UC Riverside Highlanders-Sacramento State Hornets game, UC Riverside batter Clayton Prestridge hit a 1-0 fastball from Sacramento State pitcher Tanner Mendonca to shortstop Scotty Murcham, who threw to third baseman Will Soto in an attempt to involve UC Riverside baserunner R2 Eddie Young in a rundown between second and third base. Following a brief pickle, Young was tagged out by Sacramento State second baseman Andrew Ayers. Replays indicate Young appeared to then grab or pull Ayers' glove as Ayers appeared to attempt to check the batter-runner at first base. Ayers then pushed the retired Young away, after which Young returned and threw a punch at Ayers, resulting in a bench clearing incident.

2012 WAC Player of the Year Ayers, Young and UC Riverside catcher Drake Zarate were ejected for their participation in the fight. Pursuant to NCAA rule, each player has received a mandatory four-game suspension, meaning Ayers, Young and Zarate will not participate in the remainder of the teams' four-game weekend series.

At the time of the ejections, UC Riverside was leading, 2-0. UC Riverside ultimately won the contest, 2-1.

Friday, February 22, 2013

A happiest of birthdays to Hall of Fame Umpire Bill Klem. Today we preview the upcoming UEFL Umpire Profiles, which will be unveiled as prospectus material during the 2013 UEFL Draft. Today's inaugural feature, not surprisingly, is the UEFL Umpire Profile of Mr. Klem.Name: William Joseph Klem (née Klimm)Nicknames: The Old Arbitrator, Catfish

Date of Birth: February 22, 1874

Place of Birth: Rochester, New YorkDate of Death: September 16, 1951 (77 years old)Place of Death: Miami, Florida

Notes: Buried at Graceland Memorial Park (Coral Gables FL, Section H, Block 23, Lot 10, Grave 4).
» Klem prefered "The Old Abitrator" to "Catfish" and notoriously ejected players who used the latter.
» First umpire on record to have used the inside chest protector; among the originators of visual mechanics.
» Officiated home plate almost exclusively until 1922.
» His 18 World Series assignments (103 games) is an MLB record as is his 5,370 total games worked.
» Officiated 5 no-hitters but no perfect games.

Some information used here was obtained free of charge and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org."

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Referees Ken Mauer (crew chief), Kane Fitzgerald (R) and Olandis Poole (R2/umpire) ejected Knicks guard J.R. Smith for violating the NBA's Respect for the Game Guidelines after receiving his second conduct technical foul in the third quarter of the Knicks-Pacers game. At the half-time intermission, Smith received his first technical foul as half of an offsetting (double) technical foul with Pacers guard Lance Stephenson for their respective unsportsmanlike conduct/verbal altercation. With 3:01 remaining in the third period, Smith was called for an offensive foul after appearing to swing elbows and contact an opponent in the head area. Following an ensuing possession, Smith proceeded to complain to referee Fitzgerald after the ball became dead following a made field goal, earning his second and disqualifying technical foul. At the time of the ejection, the Pacers were leading, 95-59. The Pacers ultimately won the contest, 125-91.

This is Ken Mauer (41)'s fifth involvement with an ejection of the 2012-13 NBA season.
This is Kane Fitzgerald (35)'s fourth involvement with an ejection of the 2012-13 NBA season.
This is Olandis Poole (50)'s sixth involvement with an ejection of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

MLB will not expand instant replay for the 2013 season, Joe Torre has decreed. The Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations stated that expanded replay will be implemented in 2014: "next year, there will be something, for sure."

Exec. VP Torre: Instant replay will be ready in 2014, "for sure."

Then again, it was MLB Commissioner Bud Selig who, in October, said "I think we'll have it for sure" in response to a reporter's question regarding instant replay for fair/foul and safe/out (catch/trap) situations.

In July of 2012, Selig had also said instant replay expansion was on MLB's horizon. In August, MLB tested expanded replay systems at both New York stadiums.

In December of 2011, a proposed labor deal included expanded replay with fair/foul, catch/trap and perimeter-wide spectator interference provisions. Needless to say, that suggestion failed.

Meanwhile, the NBA Board of Governors—basketball's rules body—approved its own expanded replay in advance of the 2012-13 season, adding two proposals: one for all flagrant fouls and one for goaltending and restricted area calls in the final two minutes.

In May of 2012, the International Rugby Board welcomed its own version of expanded replay while the NFL adopted automatic booth reviews of all turnover plays in addition to the existing-scoring play reviews prior to the 2012 season.

Torre additionally said, "It’s not like we're afraid to do something. I don't want to do something unless we feel like it's the right thing to do."

The former player/manager cited pace-of-game, explaining that MLB still needed to determine how to expand replay without further delaying games. Torre will manage Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

MLB has amended the infield fly rule to address interference in the wake of August 26, 2012's Marlins vs. Dodgers game, in which a case of runner interference became entangled with the infield fly rule. Furthermore, the precise verbiage of the proposed modification to Rule 8.05 (fake to third balk) has been revealed. The phrase "or third" base also been added to Rule 8.05(b), which now reads, "it is a balk when—the pitcher, while touching his plate, feints a throw to first or third base and fails to complete the throw."

When an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05(l). The infield fly rule takes precedence.

As a result of the confusion caused by the unique case of offensive interference occurring during an infield fly "if fair" play, in which fair/foul status has not yet been established when interference causes the ball to become dead (in which case fair/foul status cannot, by prior rule, be changed), the Official Playing Rules Committee has amended the Rule 2.00 (Infield Fly) Comment to include the following sentences:

If interference is called during an infield fly, the ball remains alive until it is determined whether the ball is fair or foul. If fair, both the runner who interfered with the fielder and the batter are out. If foul, even if caught, the runner is out and the batter returns to bat.

This change also eliminates the phrase "On any interference the ball is dead" from Rule 2.00 (Interference). Also added to 2.00 Interference (a) [Offensive Interference] Comment is the phrase:

If during an intervening play at the plate with less than two outs a runner scores, and then the batter-runner is called out for interference outside the three-foot lane, the runner is safe and the run shall count.

Because the phrase "on any interference the ball is dead" was removed from the Rules Book, language had to be applied à la carte to individual provisions. For instance, Rule 7.09 (it is interference by a batter or runner when—) was modified to delineate that if a batter "clearly" interferes with a catcher after a third strike, the ball is dead and runners may not advance.

Also modified were glove coloring guidelines (Rule 1.15: "no fielder, regardless of position, may use a fielding glove that falls within a PANTONE color set lighter than the current 14-series"), when a pitcher who ended an offensive half inning on the playing field (e.g., at-bat or on base) is required to pitch to the first batter (Rule 3.05: "makes contact with the pitcher's plate to begin his warm-up pitches") and the language of the suspended games rule 4.12.

Additionally, Rule 8.02's automatic ball rule for a pitcher who goes to his mouth/lips on the mound was scaled back such that umpires are to "remove the ball from play and issue a warning to the pitcher. Any subsequent violation shall be called a ball."

Lastly, the phrase "Wild Card" was added to appropriate sections of the OBR that refer to postseason play.

In regards to the aforementioned UEFL Case Play, this rules change has produced the following deviation:Pre-2013 (e.g., 2012) Ruling: R1 was correctly ruled out for interference, B1 resumed his at-bat and R2 returned to second base; two outs, R2.Post-Change (e.g., 2013) Ruling: R1 is ruled out for interference, B1 is ruled out under the infield fly rule as the ball became fair before becoming dead and R2 is returned to second base; three outs [R2].

Monday, February 18, 2013

Following Sunday night's Wichita St-Illinois State NCAA men's basketball game, officials David Hall, Gerry Pollard and Paul Janssen were disciplined by the Missouri Valley Conference for what the MVC has determined was an incorrect penalty administration.

With 49 seconds remaining in the 2nd half of the contest, Illinois State forward Jackie Carmichael attempted to claim a defensive rebound, jumping to secure the basketball before a Wichita State foul at 41.2 seconds (0:40 per play-by-play score sheet) stopped play.

Following the officiating crew's use of instant replay review, Carmichael was assessed a flagrant 1 foul after it was determined that Carmichael's kick to Shockers guard Tekele Cotton's upper torso, head and/or neck area while Cotton stood in front of the end line was excessive and/or unnecessary (restricted area does not apply).

NCAA Rule 4-29-c specifies a flagrant 1 foul includes "a personal foul that is deemed excessive in nature and/or unnecessary, but not based solely on the severity of the act." Included under the flagrant 1 category are provisions (1) excessive contact with an opponent while playing the ball and (6) illegal contact with an elbow that occurs above the shoulders of an opponent when the elbows are not swung excessively.

Rule 2-3 ("Elastic Power") grants the referee the authority to make decisions on any points not specifically covered in the rules. Pursuant to this Rule, referee Hall was well within his right to deem Carmichael's foot-based contact a flagrant 1 personal foul pursuant to the terms of 4-29-c-1 or 4-29-c-6 or under any other provision of 4-29-c, as a kick to and through (be it the chest area or upward) may be properly interpreted as excessive and/or unnecessary.

Rule 2-13-2-d authorizes officials to initiate instant replay review in order to determine whether a flagrant 2 personal or contact technical foul has occurred if (a) there is a foul called for contact [did not occur] or (b) a coach requests the official to review whether such a foul occurred [basis for present case].

This procedure shall be used during the first dead ball after the clock was stopped, which did occur.

Rule 2-13-d-3 was then correctly applied, "The infraction(s) should be penalized and play shall be resumed...[at] stoppage of play." In other words, officials should have awarded Wichita State (offended team) two free throws and continued by awarding the ball to Wichita State at the stoppage of play (following Illinois State's bonus free throws). Under no circumstance was Wichita State to receive the ball in lieu of Illinois State's bonus free throws and officials correctly effected this procedure.

Illinois State's Johnny Hill was accordingly awarded his bonus first and successfully converted both attempts.

Following Hill's free throws with the lane cleared and perhaps as a result of the confusion in enforcing a retroactively reviewed and assessed flagrant foul which chronologically took place before a foul which produced free throws (both teams were in the bonus), free throw shooter Cotton became lost in the shuffle.

This is where the crew erred and instead, free throws were inaccurately awarded to Cotton's teammate Cleanthony Early, who successfully converted both free throws, a correctable error pursuant to Rule 2-12-1-c (permitting a wrong player to attempt a free throw). Unfortunately, this error was not recognized nor rectified.

Wichita State was then improperly awarded possessesion of the basketball on their end line (the proper in bounds location should have been "where the stoppage of play occurred to review the flagrant act"; 2-13-d-3). Regardless, Wichita State inbounded the ball into their backcourt, making this placement error moot.

Following Early's two scores, Illinois State led, 67-62. Wichita State ultimately won the contest, 68-67.

Lastly for those pondering possible nefarious conduct on the part of Wichita State in Early's free throw attempts, Rule 10-6-1-c specifies a Class B technical foul shall be called when a player "knowingly attempts a free throw to which he is not entitled." It is not clear whether Early possessed this definitive knowledge when he accepted the free throws.

In sanctioning the officiating crew (undisclosed punishment), the MVC confirmed its penalties were for allowing an improper player to attempt free throws and not because of a judgment call.